Apollo wears a new look after 35 years

The red disc logo depicting an unending road has helped Apollo become one of the largest tyre brands in the country. As it goes global, it's time for a fresh logo

After operating with an identity for three and a half decades, Apollo Tyres, one of the largest manufacturers in the Indian tyre industry, has taken to a new corporate identity.

The red disc logo depicting an unending road, with the characteristic ‘Apollo Tyres’ written on it, has represented the company for 35 years. Why the need for a change?

In a conversation with afaqs!, Neeraj RS Kanwar, vice-chairperson and joint managing director, Apollo Tyres, says, “The logo was conceptualised in 1976 and has a lot of emotions attached to it. It's done its job – it has made us leaders in the market and has made us go global.”

However, as the company embarks upon the next leg of its journey to evolve into a global brand of choice, it felt the need for a new identity which would be relevant for the next 30 years.

The change captures the evolution of Apollo Tyres from being predominantly a tyre maker for commercial vehicles to a leader across diverse customer segments.

The new logo, which simply has the name of the organisation, Apollo, has the option of being represented in three different primary colours, with grey as the fourth option used to temper the richness of purple, orange and black.

When seen together, the letters create a visual language of coloured discs, making a strong association with tyres and mobility. The discs, in fact, represent the various kinds of tyres Apollo makes. The slim to thick outlines portray the range of tyres manufactured by the company, from passenger tyres to industrial tyres. The new identity also includes a proprietary Flama font.

The identity has been put in place by Saffron Brand Consultants and has been created by Wally Olins, chairperson, Saffron, based in London. In an official statement, Olins says, “By tyre industry standards, Apollo is a young company. The enthusiasm, energy and ambition of the enterprise are palpable. We definitely wanted to capture this. Also, Apollo’s next destination is Europe – a fiercely competitive market dominated by the biggies. As a brand, the new Apollo will stand out from the crowd and yet retain its appeal as a ‘smart choice’.”

Kanwar reveals that the new look stands for a younger and dynamic avtaar of the company. “It gives it a global stature,” he says.

In very basic terms, the simple circle is one of the most powerful forms in the universe, says Kanwar. It stands for energy, motion, life and space. The circle also represents the wheel. Four wheels represent a vehicle. These four wheels create the new Apollo logo, an identity which is in sync with who the company is and what it makes.

All colours have their own significance in the logo. Black stands for precision, purple for premium qualities, orange for energy, light grey for industriousness and white for purity.

Apollo is looking at stepping into the European market by May, for which it needed a refurbished look. The new look will be put out through communication across media. Kanwar reveals that it has set aside about Rs 8-10 crore for its marketing purposes for four years.